Cornwall
Six of us went down to Cornwall for a couple of weeks of illegal camping in the summer. We were 18, had just finished our A-Levels, and were in the prime of our youth. Our main property was a couple of tents, a communal cooking stove, a big old double-tape stereo (which is, interestingly, now named "The General" by it's owner, and still going, at approximately 25 years old and having been in two car crashes).

We pitched up on one of the headlands near Padstow, and found a secluded spot on one of the cliffs, covered in brush and relatively flat.

The view was overlooking the sea, and what a pleasure it was of an evening to lie there, listening to the waves and the gulls below, smoking and drinking. Utterly relaxed.

The route into town was, as you might imagine, somewhat convoluted and trecherous.

One evening, on our return to camp in the small hours, we ended up missing the correct trurning on the fork, and were right on the cliff edge - walking along a path in single file as it demanded - a sheer rock face to our left, and a 50-foot drop onto rocks on our right. The only real light was from the moon, and it's refection on the sea.

We'd been drinking, but mainly smoking that evening, and suddenly one of the lads, right at the back of the column suddenly barked authoritatively, but rather desperately "STOP!"

In our rather monged state, we all stopped repectfully, but soon questioned him.

"What the fuck are you on about, A, you dick?"

"I dunno" said A, "I just, er ... I dunno. I felt we should stop ... er ... I dunno."

"You fucking idiot - come on lads ... "

Until N, generally one of the loudest of the group and who was at the front said quietly "No. Er ...we can't."

"Oh for fuck's sake why not?"

"Er ... because this is the edge of the cliff."

Less than two feet away over a slight hump, the ground quite literally dropped straight onto the rocks and into the waves.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Mon 23 Aug 2010, 13:37, 2 replies)

The General
sounds awesome. I know those big old suckers, usually grey or black, take about a dozen huge batteries, but you can't kill 'em. Mine lasted 15 years before passing it on to another relly, who still has it. Great shed music makers.
(boozehound is drinking your bar dry, Tue 24 Aug 2010, 6:29, closed)

Yeah, that's the one.
It's now got added features including fusewire holding the handle together, gaffer tape for the batteries, and a bit of paper folded in the right way to keep the cassette door shut, though generally now we just wire an MP3 player through.
( Je suis un vagabond is an unfunny, up your own arse middle class knob, Tue 24 Aug 2010, 8:30, closed)